Richard Carapaz claimed victory in stage 18 of the Tour de France, triumphing after a fierce battle among a breakaway group of six riders, concluding at the winter sports station in Orcières-Merlette. However, the race leader Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates XRG is grappling with growing concerns over his team's health, which has been affected by a virus since the rest day on Monday.

The situation worsened with the withdrawal of Brandon McNulty, who abandoned the race with 21 km remaining in Thursday's stage. Additionally, teammates Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch struggled during the challenging stage that featured five categorized climbs, including a steep seven-kilometre ascent to the finish.

At the stage start in Voiron, Wellens revealed his own health issues, mentioning a sore throat and hinting that other team members were also unwell. Despite holding a significant 4m 32s lead over Remco Evenepoel, Pogacar expressed concern, stating, "I’m sad that Brandon could not finish... We will keep fighting and I believe we can do it."

Speculation surrounding the team's illness intensified when Pogacar opted to wear black shorts instead of his usual yellow. McNulty's exit may have also stemmed from injuries sustained after being hit by a car during reconnaissance for Tuesday's time trial.

Carapaz, the former Giro d’Italia champion, narrowly avoided a collision with an errant fan but managed to secure his win with a strong solo effort, finishing 45 seconds ahead of Mauro Schmid and Matteo Jorgenson. With the Alpe d’Huez looming, Pogacar appears vulnerable for the first time this year, intensifying the pressure on him and his team.